


Fifth Christmas, Part 2

by tatooedlaura



Series: Christmas [6]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 19:12:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9781157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatooedlaura/pseuds/tatooedlaura
Summary: Mulder's Christmas with the Scully's ... all of them ... and we mean all of them ...





	

He was a grown-ass man.

He should not have damned butterflies playing roller derby in his stomach.

It was only Christmas morning.

Christmas morning with the Scully’s.

All of them.

Nine adults … seven kids … 10,000 presents … one tree … 20 pounds of smashed potatoes … two roasters of ham … three cakes, chocolate with sprinkles, vanilla with cherry filling and black cherry frosting, carrot with to-die-for cream cheese decadence … one shirt collar that suddenly felt entirely too tight and two shoes that squeaked.

He was going to die before he hit the front door.

Noticing his palm-sweating nerves and jiggling knee, she parked in front of the house but didn’t get out, instead taking his damp hand in hers, “are you dying? Do we need to go back home? Are you afraid of the short people that will be hopped up on Santa and Christmas cookies? Are you afraid of the tall ones whom you’ve met or the ones you haven’t? Will you survive my mother’s 2-ton Christmas feast?”

The smile she tried to contain and the panic he couldn’t made her squeeze his knee with her other hand, reaching across the shifter to touch him twice at once.

Butterflies turned to rampant electricity in his veins and a giddy, hitched chuckle arose, “all of the above. I have no idea why I’m nervous but I am and I’m an idiot.”

This time, when her lips feathered his cheek, he nearly busted a gasket but remained calm, “you will be fine. The kids are gonna love you because you’re really tall and look like you would be perfectly willing to give shoulder rides. Just stick with them if all else fails.”

“How do I look willing to give shoulder rides?”

“You don’t but when Hannah asks you to, you will melt and do it and it’ll all snowball and you’ll go home tonight perfectly happy and slightly bruised from the heels that have been banging your upper chest all day.”

Giving her hand a last squeeze, he let go, “come on, let’s go see how my first real Christmas in 25 years is gonna play out.”

He was out of the car and waiting for her before she slowly slipped from the car, not gathering her armload of gifts yet but coming to his side, standing up on the curb to get a better height on him. In a quiet voice that blending with the barely dawning sky, “but you go to your mom’s for Christmas every year.”

‘Cause he couldn’t lie to her, not on such an honest morning, “not every year and it’s never fun or relaxing or remotely real. Usually it’s forced pleasantries and stuffy food and awkward silences and I escape as soon as duty allows.” He didn’t want to bring her down so he kissed her on the nose, a quick peck there and gone, “and we’re going to be late if we don’t get moving.”

Sliding her wool-covered arms under his, she rested her cheeks against the cold material of his coat, hugging him tightly, fierce-protective mode in high gear, “I’m sorry. If I’d have known that, I’d have been dragging you along with me from the beginning.”

He settled his arms around her, face turned, cheek on top of her winter cap, “thank you.”

They stayed like this longer than they should have and the front door opening, her cousin’s voice carrying across the cold from the front porch, “break it up, woman and get your butt inside. The longer you stand out here, the longer I have to keep these kids barricaded upstairs and the natives are getting restless!”

Lifting her head to survey her cousin with a smile, “Shut up, Dave. You’re gonna wake the entire neighborhood.”

“It’s Christmas. They shouldn’t be asleep anyways. Now make room for Jesus and come inside or I’ll have to sic Aunt Maggie on you.”

They hustled after this, not wanting to impose the wrath of Mama Scully and her very real threats of burned ham and coal in stockings. Getting in the front door with both Mulder and gifts in tow, she kicked Dave lightly in the shins, getting his flannel pajamas snowy, “you are not getting a gift.”

“Good, ‘cause I didn’t get you anything either.” Grabbing her head in a hug, “Merry Christmas, old lady.”

Once he disappeared back up the steps, Mulder turned to her, “I like him.”

“He’ll like you back. Trust me.”

They no sooner had gotten shoes off and coats hung then feet began pounding down the stairs, tumbling past them, yelling ‘Merry Christmas’ as they passed. The small people were followed by the big people, Charlie and Dave racing down just as loudly, yelling ‘Feliz Navidad’ and some kind of boisterous holiday exclamation in what sounds suspiciously like Klingon.

Mulder looked at Scully, already feeling his nervousness fading into astonished anticipation, “this is gonna be fun.”

Reaching over, she pulled him behind her by the hand, “come on. The tree’s back here.”

&&&&&&&&&

There were gifts but only two each, then Maggie cut everybody off, her two sons and nephew the loudest of the good-natured protestors, telling them that mass was in an hour and they had 15 minutes to get ready to leave.

Mulder looked at Scully, “mass?”

With a guilty look flooding her face, “I totally forgot to mention that, didn’t I? I’m sorry. We always either go to Midnight Mass or Christmas morning. I guess they didn’t go last night.” Leaning forward on her elbows, she turned to look at him, “you don’t have to go. Mom won’t mind. You can just hang out here and take a nap or just,” digging for the book Maggie got her, she held it out to him, “read this.”

Taking the book but setting in beside her without a glance, “do you think your God is accurate enough to hit only me with the lightning bolt? I mean, I’ll go but only if I can guarantee I’m the only one who’s going to get struck.”

Scully’s lips curved in a knowing smirk, “he’s got good aim but I think you’ll be fine.”

“Then I’d like to go.”

&&&&&&&&&&&

He had never experienced a full-on Christmas mass before, especially not one with 16 people packed in one pew, kids doing their best to be quiet, suppressing their antsy, I’ve got gifts at home waiting demeanor and failing miserably. Scully, though, held his hand at required parts and kept holding his hand at parts where no one else held hands at all.

He missed most of what the priest talked about but he enjoyed the singing and the smells, which he meant to ask about but forgot because of, well, the hand-holding. Soon, they were all leaving the pew for communion and Mulder moved with them but Scully gently shook her head, whispering, “we’ll be back. You stay here.”

He didn’t care about it anyways. Mostly, he just missed her hand and spent the entire time they were out of the pew wondering if he would get it back when she returned.

He did.

He enjoyed Mass very much.

He retook her mittened hand once they got outside, opening her door for her and just grinning when she mentioned he must be trying to store up brownie points for something.

Then she reached for his damp wool glove on the short drive home.

&&&&&&&&&

Breakfast was phenomenally loud, things spilling, burned bacon, which Mulder loved and Scully knew and kept slipping onto his plate. He in turn gave her all his strawberries and whipped cream from his pancakes … partners to the end in both crime fighting and breakfast shenanigans.

Present opening began as soon as the last dish was washed and dried. Mulder chose to settle on the floor against the wall, Scully designated present-passer-outer for this leg of the insanity, stealing glances at him each time she came near and without fail, caught him looking back, locking away every glance like an addled schoolboy who’s crush had just discovered his existence and may forget again with her next heartbeat.

Then she stopped in front of him, a big smile on her face and a bigger box, “Merry Christmas from Mom and I.”

The look he gave her must have been so filled with stunned bewilderment that she suddenly dropped to her knees, hugging him and the big box close, whispering in his ear, “please, smile. You’re gonna make me cry.”

So he did, pulling away to reveal a gigantic grin, “want to help me open it?”

Still crouching in front of him, she shook her head, “nope but I’m going to watch.”

Inside, there was an enormous collection of crazy themed socks and horribly wonderful ties, bags of sunflower seeds, 10 pairs of sunglasses, a whole container of homemade peanut butter marshmallow fudge that he loved with all his soul and stomach and Maggie knew he loved, the entire collection of Star Trek on DVD and a keychain with an alien head on it, which Scully leaned over to tell him quietly that Maggie had picked out everything but the seeds and the ties.

Standing right up, he hauled Maggie up from the couch and hugged her, squeezing her until someone made an amused comment to let go of his mother before he broke her in half.

Not wanting to break the lovely woman in charge of making him fudge, he released her, then sat back down, immediately changing his socks.

After that, Scully turned over the gift distribution reins to Matt and sidled up beside him, leaning into his side more than platonically allowable but less than I’ve seen you naked expected.

He was in some kind of Irish heaven and he never wanted to leave.

&&&&&&&&

Caught in that lull between presents and dinner, the house gradually went quiet, all kids and adult males gone from the living room. Mulder was beginning to wonder what had happened when suddenly, “hey, Mulder?”

The voice had bellowed from the kitchen and Scully pushed him to stand, “I’d go see what he wants or he’ll just keep yelling.”

Mulder disappeared into the kitchen and when he didn’t return after 5 minutes, Scully went to investigate. She found him, Dave, Charlie and all the kids sharing two very large chocolate chip cookies. The entire lot of them turned in unison and wore the same guilty look at which Scully laughed, “you could have at least invited me. I’m starving.”

“We needed sustenance and girls tattle.” Looking down at his daughter, Charlie whispered, “really, it’s just your Aunt Dana.”

“That’s true. Did I ever tell you about your dad …”

“Just get over here, eat your cookie and shut it.”

Reaching her hand over the crowd, “make sure there’s chocolate in my piece.”

Maggie caught them a few moments later but by then, all evidence was gone, crumbs picked up with licked thumbs and chewing finished, swallowing proceeding as Maggie opened the swinging kitchen doors, “what are you all doing in here very quietly?”

12 people said, once again in unison, “nothing.”

“Fox?”

Knowing a mom going after the most vulnerable, he looked her square in the eye, “nothing.”

She squinted in their direction, “I can smell the guilt and it smells like chocolate.” They all stood their ground, even the four-year old, until Maggie just smiled, “get out of my kitchen unless you want to help me chop things.”

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Dinner, once everyone was arranged and Graham was sitting beside Mulder, Hannah on his other side, went smoothly. There were stories and jokes and spontaneous off-key Christmas carol singing.

Mulder also got himself a cheekful of potatoes from Scully, who reached over Hannah to do it, “what was that for?”

“Inauguration. No one gets out of Christmas without potatoes.” Nodding towards Sarah, Dave’s wife, “she got an earful her first Christmas. Be thankful it was only your cheek.”

Joanna spouted off, “I got it in the nose so be extra happy about your cheek.”

“These things, Scully, that I didn’t know and will make you pay for later on are astounding.”

Maggie cut them off, laughing, “so help me, if I have another holiday food fight in this kitchen, I take back all my presents.”

Charlie slowly put his loaded spoon down.

So did Bill.

&&&&&&&&&&

Everyone but Mulder, Scully and Maggie were either asleep or already on their way back home by nine that night and as Scully let out her third yawn in less than five minutes, Mulder nudged her knee, “ready to go? I still have to drive home after we get to your place.”

With a nod, she stood, swaying slightly, “you awake enough to drive my car?”

“Sure.” Giving Maggie another tight hug, “thank you so much for everything. I’ve never … I just … I’ve had the greatest time.”

Squeezing him back, “you are welcome anytime, Fox, never forget that.”

Once on the front porch with the door shut and locked behind them, Mulder stopped her, putting down their bags of gifts and leftovers. Giving her her own hug, then light kiss on her rosy, chapped lips, “there was mistletoe hanging over the front door but I waited until we didn’t have an audience in case you hit me.”

Guffawing out a frozen chuckle, she shifted up on her toes and kissed him back, close-lipped and quick, “I’d never hit you for kissing me under the Mistletoe, Mulder. Believe me.”

As he opened her door, “Hand. Down. Best. Day. Ever.”


End file.
